The present invention relates generally to grapples and more particularly to a collapsible grapple which can be easily assembled and disassembled for convenient use and safe transport when not in use.
While the collapsible grapple according to the present invention is suited for a number of uses including as a grapple on the end of a crane boom for industrial use or as a carrier for parts in a plating bath, the following description will be facilitated by addressing the specific problem of providing a collapsible grapple for use as an anchor in marine applications, especially for pleasure craft.
Fishermen using small boats have encountered a number of problems associated with the use of rigid anchors. While an anchor is desirable in many cases to limit the drifting or movement of a small boat during fishing, many rigid anchors heretofore in use have presented severe short-comings. Specifically, rigid anchors are often cumbersome to store and transport when not in use and may present a hazard when resting in the bottom of a boat. The pointed hooks of a rigid anchor present a danger and potential source of injury to the occupants of the boat as well as to the hull of the boat itself. Several collapsible-type anchors have also been proposed and developed to avoid some of these problems, but these have commonly been relatively complicated and expensive.
Collapsible anchors known in the prior art typically include a substantial number of parts such as interlocking mechanisms, stops, sliding positioning plates or members and hinges. These many parts, in addition to being cumbersome to manipulate and adding expense to the anchor, also may prove susceptible to rusting or jamming in use thereby rendering the collapsible feature inoperative. Also, known collapsible anchors often present several rigid, unitary parts which project in different planes thus preventing convenient and simple storage of the disassembled parts in a relatively flat condition.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved, collapsible grapple which is simple in its construction and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved, collapsible grapple which comprises relatively few parts and is easy to assemble and disassemble.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a collapsible grapple which is efficient and reliable in operation and which may be conveniently and safely transported in a relatively flat condition.